Shedding mechanism for circular looms



W E935- J. JABOULEY 2,024,165

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR LOOMS Filed Jan. 12, 1934 2 sheets-sheen 2 az a5 l ze lllllll-v {"{lllllllllllllllWIIHHIHUHIHI||llllIl||lllllllllll||lIlIl"llllllllllllllllllllll ||||l|||||||||||| Hlllllllll l llllll llllllllllllllllllllllll Illlllllll'lllllllllll |IlllllIlllllllllllllIIllllllllllIl|||||lllllllllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllIIHIIIIIHIIIIIllIllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllll ll IIIIIIIHIIIHllllllllllllllllllIlHlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Hmm! ||||||HfZa ocww @50.100 o hg 9%@ Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE SHEDDING IVIECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR LOOMS Application January 12, 1934, Serial No. '706,319 In Great Britain January .24, .1933

r10 Claims.

This invention relates to circular looms, and in particular to shedding mechanism therefor, the object of the invention being means to enable a variety of designs to be Wovenfon circular looms.

A great difficulty in the control of warp threads for shedding purposes in circular looms is the necessity for eiiecting independent radial action of the healds or like devices by which the threads are controlled, for since passage of the warps asa cylinder coaxial with the loom enables the largest amount of fabric to be woven in relation to the diameter of the loom, the shedding movement must be eiiected by a radial or substantially radial movement of the warps out of the surface of this cylinder, an arrangement which gives rise to considerable mechanical diiculties. Further, the warp density necessary for most textile fabrics requires a shedding control of the warp threads to be effected in several planes in order that the healds or like devices may be accommodated, and the mounting and operation of the devices in a plurality of banks oiier many construction problems, especially owing to the -circular Varrangement of the machine.

The present invention enables these difficulties to be overcome by separating the mechanism bringing about the shedding movement o'i selected warp threads and the mechanism guiding the threads in such movement.

According to the present invention shedding is effected by means which press .on the warps and tend to move them out of their normal path, locking means adapted to retain the warp threads in the normal path, and selector means adapted to free some of the warps so as to permit them to move under the action of the pressing means. Thus, at each shedding point the `warps -ma-y be engaged by a wheel projecting beyond the normal line of the warps while they remain in y engagement with the wheel so that the warp threads are pushed out of their normal line. Some distance from this wheel the Warp threads pass through healds or like devices which are locked against movement so that notwithstanding the movement of the warps under the action of the pressing wheel no effective movement takes place.

Selected healds are acted upon by suitable mechanism soas to free them from the locking devices, the healds thereupon moving under the force in the warp thread produced by thepressing wheel, so that any particular warp selected is separated from those still retained by the locked healds. In this Way a shed is formed Which is either suicient for the free .passage of the shuttle or,;if desired, the extent of movement ofthe freed warps may be just suicient to permit the shuttle :to venter between the two sheets and thereafter force them apart.

Several forms of apparatus according to the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to'the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a part sectional view of a shedding mechanism employing three rbanks of healds;

Fig. f2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the release .of healds'in one of the banks;

Figs. 3 and .4 are iplan views showing diagrammatically the spacing and mounting of the healds;

Fig. 5 isa'view'taken on .the line 5-5 .of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 shows part of the 'periphery of the loom and shows the shedding of .the warps for two consecutive shuttles;

Fig. 7 is adiagrammatic vertical .section of the periphery fof the .loom taken vonthe line I'I of the vdiagrammatic Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is asimilar view .to Fig. 7 taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. V6.;

Figs. 9, 10, .and 11 show an alternative form of selector mechanism for use with the healdsshown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 12, 13, and 14 :show a further form of selecting mechanism.

Referring to Figs. 1, 13,and 4, extending betWeenand securedin inner and outer rings le, I l are reed 4dents I.2 .and spacing pieces I3 arranged in alternation, the spacing pieces I3 extending upwardly beyond the face of the annular reed constituted tby the dents I2. In the inner edges I4 of the inner set of spacing pieces I3 are square .notches I5 to accommodate substantially square sectioned rings I6 at uniformly spaced vertical intervals. Similar rings I'I with a circular `cross-section are ysecured in semi-circular 40 notches `I8 in ythe .inner edges of the outer series of spacing pieces I3.

Resting on .the rings I5, vII are three banks of healds I9 perforated mid-way between the rings IB, II with eyes 20 for the reception of warp threads. The 'rings 'Il as well Aas supporting the healds `I9 'formpivots for these healds, while the rings I6 engage square notches IGain the lower edges of rthe'healds and serve to lock the dents against longitudinal sliding. Rings 2l near the upper ends of Aboth series of spacing pieces I3 prevent `accidental removal of the upper bank of Ahealds 19.

rIll'ie vthree banks of Ahealds project outwardly beyond `the `outer-series of spacing pieces I3 to 55 varying distances to form butts 22, 23, 2li lying below steps 25, 26, 21 in a cam-supporting ring 28 surrounding the healds. In the steps 25, 26, 21 can be secured cam plates 29 (see Figs. 2 and 5) having inclined ends, each cam plate being disposed somewhat in advance of each shuttle 39, as shown in Fig. 6.

The member 28 and the reed and heald supporting rings I0, are arranged for relative angular movement in the loom; for instance', the shuttles 33 may rotate round the loom while the reed |2 and the warps remain stationary, or theA warps may rotate while the shuttles are held stationary, as described in U. S. application Serial No. 655,560 niedl 7th February, 193s. In either case, the cam plates 29 are arranged at a predetermined distance in advance of each shuttle so as to initiate the shedding movement in advance of each shuttle in turn.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the action of the cam plates 29 is to depress slightly the butts 22, 23 or 24 at the outer ends of the healds opposite which the plates 29 are arranged, the depression of the outer ends of the healds causing the healds to pivot about the ring I7, so raising the inner ends of the healds and freeing them from the locking rings I6. Fig. 2 clearly shows the notch Mia at the middle bank of healds clear of its locking ring I6.

. Also arranged at the forward end of each shuttle is a shedding wheel 3| mounted for free rotation on a support 32 and projecting inwardly beyond the normal line 33 followed by the warps from the spacing means 34 situated towards the top of the loom to the eyes 20 of the locked healds |9. All the warp threads are thus pressed by the Wheel 3| and deected inwardly above the level of the healds I9, as shown in Fig. 7. At each shuttle, however, one at least of the banks of healds I9 remains locked (there being no cam plate 29 provided on the member 28.in connection with those healds at that particular point), so that the warp threads 33a: by passing through the locked healds remain undisplaced between the healds and a ring 35 disposed towards the bottom of the loom. The warp threads 33g/ passing through the eyes 2|) of the bank of healds which hasbeen freed by the cam plate 29.are, however, displaced inwardly between the healds and the ring 35, the freed healds I9 being carried inwardly with the warps 33g, as shown in Fig. 7. The warps 33:12, 33g are thus separated into two sheets into which the nose 36 of the shuttle 30 can extend. The shedding wheels 3| are preferably fabric-covered, as described in U. S. application Serial No. '706,320 led on even date herewith, to avoid slippage of the threads along the periphery of the wheels and also to minimize wear on the threads.

Continued passage of the shuttle 3U through the warps pushes the warp sheets apart sumcient for its passage between them, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. At the rear end 3'lrof the shuttle 3|) the separated warps return to a single sheet, the tension in the displaced warps 33g returning them to their normal line 33 and carrying the displaced healds |9 back to their normal position. By this time the butts on the outer ends of the healds are clear ofthe cam plate 23 and the inner ends of the healds are therefore free to drop into re-engagement with their locking ring I6. At the next shuttle further freeing of some of the healds I9 takes place by suitable cam disposition in accordance with the type of weave desired, and a new shed is formed for the following shuttle.

While three banks of healds |9 have been shown, any other suitable number of banks may be employed, with a corresponding number of 5 cam-steps in the member 23. For example, ve banks of healds may be used for the Weaving of 5shaft satin. Further, instead of the member 28 and the shedding wheels 3| being disposed outside the warp circle, they may be arranged within 10 the circle.

Referring now to Figs. 9-11, the cams 29 are replaced by notched Wheels 38 which lie over the butts 22, l23, 24 and project downwardly suiciently to depress the butts in a manner similar 15 to the cams 29. Fig. 10 shows some of the butts 22 depressed by the periphery of the wheel 33, while other butts lying in the notches 39 remain undepressed.

Thus the wheels 38 make a selection of the 20 healds in any particular bank which are to be released for movement under the displacing action of the shedding wheels 3|, and patterned shedding is effected in accordance with the disposition of the notches 39. 25

Figs. 13 and 14 show a modified form of presser wheel to displace the warps above the healds I9 selected in the manner above described. This wheel is formed with notches 4| in its periphery, the notches being deep enough to permit 30k the passage of threads without displacement of the threads under the action of the wheel. Threads falling against the periphery of the wheel 40 are displaced so that freed healds I9 are nloved to one side, as shown in Fig. 14, for the 35 entry of the shuttle nose 36 between the two sheets of warps thus formed.

In order to prevent threads from slipping away from the periphery of the Wheel 40 into the notches 4 small projections 42 are formed at the 40 sides of each notch, as shown in Fig. 13.

More or less complicated shedding can be obtained with this arrangement, depending on the size of the wheel 4D and the disposition of the notches 4|. 45

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. Circular loom shedding mechanism comprising means to press on the warps and deflect them from their normal path, healds controlling 50 the warps, locking means for said healds, and selector means adapted to free some of the healds so as to permit the warps controlled by such healds to move under the action of the pressing means. 65

2. Circular loom shedding mechanism comprising means to press on the warps and deflect them from their normal path, a plurality of banks of healds controlling the warps, locking means for said healds, and selector means adapt- 60 ed to free healds in any predetermined bank so as to permit the warps controlled by such healds to move under the action of the pressing means.

3. Circular loom shedding mechanism according to claim 1 comprising as selector means a 65 notched wheel disposed so as to engage a series of healds, healds falling into the notches of the wheel remaining locked and the others being freed by the wheel.

4.'.Circular loom shedding mechanism com- 70 prising a circular reed, spacing pieces alternating with the ends of the reed dents and projecting from one face of the reed, healds slidably mounted between pairs of the spacing pieces, locking means to prevent sliding movement of 75 the healds, means to free selected healds from the locking means, and means to press on the warps controlled by the healds and to deiiect from their normal path those warps the healds of which have been freed.

5. Circular loom shedding mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the healds are arranged in several banks, the healds in the different banks projecting to form butts, and wherein the naald-freeing means comprises cams adapted to engage the butts of healds in selected banks.

6. Circular loom shedding mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the healds project to form butts and wherein the heald-freeing means comprises a notched wheel disposed so as to engage said butts, healds falling into the notches of the wheel remaining locked and the others being freed by the Wheel.

7. Circular loom shedding mechanism coniprising a notched Wheel adapted to press on the warps and to deflect warps not falling into the notches, healds controlling the warps, locking means for said healds, and selector means adapted to free some of the healds from the locking means so that warps both from the locking means and deected by the notched wheel are separated from the remaining warps.

8. Circular loom shedding mechanism according to claim 7 wherein the notched wheel is provided With projections at the sides of each notch to prevent threads engaged by the periphery of the wheel from slipping into the notches.

9. Circular loom shedding mechanism comprising a circular reed, spacing pieces alternating with the ends of the reed dents and projecting from one face of the reed, healds slidably mounted edge uppermost between pairs of the spacing pieces, said healds being perforated to receive Warp threads, each heald thereby being adapted to effect a sliding movement between the spacing pieces to deflect from its normal path that Warp thread controlled by the heald, and means to effect a selection among the healds so as to bring about a deection of the corresponding warp threads. r

10. Circular loom shedding mechanism according to claim 9, comprising a ring supported 20 

